Silhouetted Skies: Warriors and Guardians
by Dewfall of WebClan
Summary: These are the lands where two Warrior cat Clans make their homes; WebClan and MeadowClan. However, these aren't your average Warriors; in this world, every Clan cat receives a Guardian animal once they become an apprentice. Come join Fawnpaw as she searches for her Guardian and discovers so much more along the way...
1. Allegiances & Prologue

_**Hello! Thanks for checking this out! This is my first story, so I hope it's all right! Also, I stopped reading Warriors after The Power of Three, and that was a very long time ago... So if I happen to have a name of a cat that they used in the later books, just know that I'm not meaning to copy the Erins. Because all of these are my characters that I made up, as well as the Guardians twist. :p  
Enjoy!**_

**WebClan**

**Leader**: Flarestar, an orange and white patched tom with long legs and green eyes.  
(Guardian: Niir the male blue jay)

**Deputy**: Sootface, cream colored she-cat with a dark gray face, paws, and tail-tip. Amber eyes.  
(Guardian: Sprik the male spiny tree viper) **Mentor to Scarletpaw.**

**Medicine** **Cat**: Mintberry, Silvery-gray tom with dark blue eyes.  
(Guardian: Kipsa the female mouse) **Brother of Dewfall and Wolfstep.**

**Warriors**: Wolfstep, huge black and silver tabby tom with a stub tail and deep blue eyes.  
(Guardian: Rin the female little brown bat) **Brother of Mintberry and Dewfall**.

Dewfall, pretty silver tabby she-cat with grey-silver eyes.  
(Guardian: Saria the female sugar glider) **Sister of Wolfstep and Mintberry**.

Poppyheart, slender tortoiseshell she-cat with grey eyes.  
(Guardian: Aroa the female ferret) **Mother to Fawnpaw.**

Sparkfoot, Calico tom with green eyes.  
(Guardian: Varin the male grey squirrel)

Adderbite, Brown mottled tom with amber eyes.  
(Guardian: Clar the male vole) Mate of Goldenstrike. **Mentor to Sunpaw**.

Lightclaw, white she-cat with a ginger tail and blue eyes.  
(Guardian: F'ria the female brown squirrel)

Rabbitleap, Brown tabby she-cat with a white belly and dark green eyes.  
(Guardian: Tiyo the male garter snake) **Mentor to Pinepaw.**

Thornshadow, Dark grey tabby tom with grey eyes.  
(Guardian: Thar the asian tree toad) **Mate of Maplespots.**

Thistlefang, broad-shouldered brown tabby tom with light blue eyes.  
(Guardian: K'leera the female mockingbird)

Echomist, Black and white tom with hazel eyes.  
(Guardian: Lessin the male kestrel)

Elkgaze, Large dark brown tom with a cream tail-tip and dark amber eyes. Disfiguring scars across eyes and forehead.  
(Guardian: Yilo the male raven) **Mentor to Fawnpaw.**

**Apprentices**: Scarletpaw, red-brown she-cat with golden eyes and a pale, cream underbelly and throat.  
(Guardian: Nemo the male elephant shrew) **Apprentice of Sootface.**

Pinepaw, slender black tom with bright yellow eyes.  
(Guardian: Cora the female mouse) **Apprentice of Rabbitleap.**

Sunpaw, Golden tom with white paws and big blue eyes.  
(Guardian: V'ryin the male chipmunk) **Apprentice of Adderbite.**

Fawnpaw, small, slender she-cat with a light brown pelt and a cream belly as well as a few white spots on her back. Golden eyes.  
**Apprentice of Elkgaze.**

**Queens**: Maplespots, Brown and white spotted she-cat with light green eyes.  
(Guardian: Lya the female chinchilla) Mother of Dappledkit and Tinykit; Mate of Thornshadow.

Goldenstrike, Golden she-cat with bright yellow eyes.  
(Guardian: Torlo the male northern pygmy owl) Mother to Moosekit, Feverkit, and Mothkit; Mate of Adderbite.

**Elders**: Barkear, Brown mottled tom with green eyes.  
(Guardian: Gris the male rat)

Ebonystripe, Light grey she-cat with black tabby stripes and grey eyes.  
(Guardian: Torin the male woodpecker, deceased)

**MeadowClan**

**Leader**: Hazelstar, Calico she-cat with icey blue eyes.  
(Guardian: Iva the female rat)

**Deputy**: Roseclaw, Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.  
(Guardian: Vex the male kestrel) **Mentor to Fernpaw.**

**Medicine** **Cat**: Honeyleaf, golden tom with white paws and amber eyes.  
(Guardian: Cooro the male red squirrel)

**Warriors**: Silverstorm, silver tabby she-cat with green eyes.  
(Guardian: S'fiir the male crow) **Mother of Fogpaw, Rainpaw, and Ripplepaw; Mate of Swiftflight.**

Harefoot, black and white tom with blue eyes and long legs.  
(Guardian: Orae the female dove)

Emberfang, ginger tabby tom with green eyes.  
(Guardian: Lia the female mouse) **Mentor to Rainpaw.**

Ashpool, black she-cat with dark green eyes and a white throat.  
(Guardian: K'lin the male rat) **Mentor to Ripplepaw**.

Petalfrost, tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes.  
(Guardian: Bea the female hedgehog)

Swiftflight, gray tom with white paws and blue eyes.  
(Guardian: T'rin the male finch) **Mate of Silverstorm. Father of Fogpaw, Rainpaw, and Ripplepaw.**

Cricketwing, small brown and white spotted tom with hazel eyes.  
(Guardian: Theon the male scarlet king snake) **Mate to Yellowbloom. Father of Mousekit and Stonekit.**

Gladeclaw, mottled brown tom missing most left ear and dark green eyes.  
(Guardian: Moork the male rat)

Icewind, slender white she-cat with blue eyes.  
(Guardian: D'rika the female golden-striped salamander) **Mentor to Fogpaw**.

**Apprentices**: Ripplepaw, small blue-grey tabby she-cat with light grey eyes.  
(Guardian: Rek the male marbled salamander) **Apprentice of Ashpool.**

Rainpaw, white tom with faint black brindling and a black tail-tip. Light green eyes.  
(Guardian: Olaf the male tortoise) **Apprentice of Emberfang.**

Fogpaw, dull grey she-cat with bright blue eyes.  
(Guardian: Thiisa the female redbelly snake)

Fernpaw, large brown tom with green eyes and broad shoulders.  
(Guardian: Narsa the female red squirrel) **Apprentice of Roseclaw.**

**Queens**: Yellowbloom, golden she-cat with bright green eyes and a cream belly.  
(Guardian: Falka the female mouse) **Mother to Mousekit and Stonekit. Mate to Cricketwing.**

**Elders**: Tallstone, dark gray tom with dark blue eyes.  
(Guardian: Yeer the male robin)

**Prologue**

The night was dark and gloomy, as most leaf-fall nights were, but especially on this night where the moon refused to show its face. A dense fog hung close to the ground, rolling through the meadows and into the shadowy forest beyond. The air was so still in the valley it almost seemed as though the land itself was holding its breath; however, it was released in an instant with the blood-curdling yowl of a cat from deep within the valley. The horrible screeching sounded again, coming from multiple mouths this time. A writhing mass of fur and claws erupted from the undergrowth with more cats catching up fast. The two felines finally broke apart and stood facing each other, panting heavily and spattered with blood.

One was a huge calico, her long fur sticking up every which way or plastered to her body with blood and sweat. The she-cat's cold, blue eyes were narrowed in fury as she sized up the cat before her once more. The huge shouldered ginger tom across from her was strong, but now he was faltering; a gash across his forehead was nearly blinding him with dripping blood and the she-cat had noticed he was limping slightly.

That wasn't to say that she wasn't suffering as well; her muscles and lungs ached from being held under the water until she drowned, and a cut on her shoulder was trickling blood. This was Hazelstar of MeadowClan, though, and she still had several lives to give for her Clan. Hazelstar twitched her ears; the sounds of other cats could be heard traveling quickly through the tall grass. "It's over, Fury." The she-cat called out with an unwavering voice, despite how tired she was.

The tom emitted a low growl deep in his throat, lashing his tail furiously back and forth. "What kind of monster are you? You were _dead_." He swiped a paw over his eyes to clear away some of the blood, then took a step forward. "It doesn't matter, though. I will kill you again; I _need_ that prey for my family!"

"And you needed to kill one of my kits over a measly rabbit? You're the only monster here!" The she-cat spit at the tom's feet, unsheathing her claws in preparation for attack.

A crooked smirk crossed Fury's face as his eyes fixed just beyond the calico. The enflamed she-cat turned behind her just in time to see a scrawny black shadow leaping at her with outstretched claws. Hazelstar ducked but felt the back of her pelt catch fire as the assailant drug their claws through skin. She whirled about instantly and caught the little tom on the side of the head with an unsheathed paw. The other cat tripped backward hissing, but then looked wildly about as if unsure whether to flee or fight. However, an ear-splitting yowl jerked both cats' attention to the wildly moving tom behind them.

Fury's face was twisted in agony as he clawed wildly at his ear which was now covered in blood. Finally his claw hit its mark and a white shape was tossed to the ground with a 'thud'. Hazelstar gasped, staggering to the side and sucking in air as if she had just had the wind knocked out of her. "I-iva! No!" The calico yowled, staring at the small rat curled up on the ground. The huge brown tom's right ear had nearly been torn off completely and he had a new fire in his eyes that sought death. The She-cat cried out to her Guardian lying limp in the grass, beckoning her to get up and run far away or to her, but Iva had been knocked out cold by the fall. Roaring like a LionClan warrior, the huge rogue leapt on top of the rodent and within heartbeats had separated the head from the rest of the body.

The MeadowClan Leader cried out in pain at that moment, her eyes going wide and pupils dilating as she felt the connection with her Guardian snap. Gasping for air, she stumbled forward, glancing at the fuzzy shape of the tom before her through blurred vision. Blood and tiny white tufts of fur were caught in Fury's claws and teeth as the cat wildly tore apart the rat that disfigured him. He was so preoccupied getting his revenge that he didn't even notice the other cat coming at him until her fangs were sinking into his throat.

Blood poured from the wound and the life drained from the huge tom's eyes as he slumped to the ground. The moment he took his last breath the large calico whirled on the other cat with a gaze as cold as a leaf bare blizzard; he was staring at the bloodstained Leader with mouth hanging aghast. Within moments she was on the scrawny tom, ignoring his screams for mercy as she raked her claws over his throat again and again. When the little tom had stopped moving she turned about to see five of her own Clan staring at her and the scene before them with wide eyes and confused expressions.

"Hazelstar?" A brown tabby tom padded slowly to his Leader, a small kestrel perched on his shoulder. "What is…" The kestrel jumped off his shoulder and landed to the ground amid the pieces of the former Guardian. The little bird shook its head sadly and flew back to his master, burying his face in the cat's fur for comfort. "Oh no… Hazelstar, I-"

"Leave me, Roseclaw." The calico whispered, wrapping her tail around herself as she directed her empty gaze to the ground. No cat made any attempts to move. "I said…" Claws glinting in the early light of dawn, the she-cat slashed at her Deputy. "Leave me be."

Roseclaw dipped his head in respect to his leader, wincing at the stinging claw marks across his cheek, and turned towards camp. The other cats and their guardians' exchanged nervous glances with each other but followed suit; it was an unimaginable thing to lose one's guardian.

Meanwhile, as dawn's pink tendrils stretched across the sky, Hazelstar sat alone, surrounded by the bodies of the cats she killed and the remains of the closest friend she ever had. Something inside the bloodstained she-cat was lost that night, and a darkness seeped into its place.


	2. Chapter 1: Fawnkit

**Woah, sorry if you saw this chapter the first time I uploaded it. It was real weird lookin. xD  
Hope you enjoy this one~**

"Come on, mom! I look fine!" A small kit squirmed away from the rasping tongue of a slender tortoiseshell she-cat, scampering to the other side of the nursery and immediately shaking out her light brown pelt. Her mother had been fussing over her fur for what felt like moons and she just wanted to run around the camp! Today was the day of her apprentice ceremony, but more importantly today was the day that she would go out and find, then form a bond with her guardian from StarClan. Quickly glancing back at her fur, she had to admit that it did look rather nice. Her pelt was similar to the animal of her namesake; the back of her fur was light brown dappled with white spots while her belly was a light cream.

Grey eyes full of love and pride gazed at the small kit for several moments before the older she-cat sighed in defeat. "All right, my little warrior, you win! But when your guardian decides to find a well-groomed cat to bond with instead of you, don't come crying to me!" The pretty she-cat gave her kit a playful smirk as the little brown she-cat rolled her eyes.

A small black ferret peeked out from a pile of moss next to the mother she-cat, "Poppyheart, I don't think that's quite how it works. Otherwise half these cats would never find their guardians!" Chuckling, the long animal wove herself between her master's legs and padded over to the smaller cat. "You look lovely, Fawnkit. Any more grooming and your fur will start falling out!" The little ferret shot her master a toothy grin and wriggled back over to the she-cat's side. Poppyheart sighed amiably and stood to her feet, gazing at her daughter once more, though this time there was a tiny glimmer of sadness in her grey eyes.

"Thanks, Aroa. I hope I find a guardian like you!" The little brown she-kit purred, puffing out her chest with pride. From deeper within the nursery a small sneeze could be heard, followed by a coughing fit. Soon a little tom kit with a dark gray and brown pelt that stuck up every which way was scampering over to Fawnkit's side, almost knocking her over.

"A-a-a-are you g-gonna go f-f-find-" he barely had mewed a few words before he was overcome with another coughing fit that shook his whole, tiny body. During that time two more kits had bounded up on either side of the first, both twice the size of their brother and nearly as large as Fawnkit.

The dark brown tom on his right placed a black-tipped paw on the little kit's back, (who was still struggling to catch his breath) and piped up, "What Feverkit is trying to say, is-"

"When are you gonna go find your guardian?" The white and grey spotted she-cat on the left of Feverkit mewed, blue eyes wide with excitement.

Poppyheart and her guardian exchanged an amused glance while Fawnkit beamed at her friends. "Flarestar will probably start my ceremony any minute and then when I'm officially an apprentice I'll get to go outside the camp!" Fawnkit directed her gaze out towards the entrance of the camp, nodding. The other kits' eyes grew wide, and Feverkit didn't even sneeze or cough. "Then I bet I'll find my guardian right away! And, and we'll be best friends! And help each other with everything!" The she-kit's eyes sparkled with excitement, which was mirrored in the other kits' as well. Feverkit, Mothkit, and Moosekit were like siblings to Fawnkit, though they had been born half a moon after her; it was exciting that she got to have her ceremony and find her guardian first, but part of her wished that they could have all been together.

The three younger kittens were all chattering excitedly while Fawnkit listed off several different animals that her guardian might be, when a loud voice sounded from outside. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Branch for a clan meeting!" All chatter stopped at once and the kittens looked around at each other excitedly and then all eyes rested on Fawnkit.

Suddenly Fawnkit felt an overwhelming rush of excitement, intermingled with waves of anxiety; it was finally time for her ceremony! Her paws felt clumsy and kit-like all of a sudden as she clambered out of the hollow tree and into the forest clearing that made up the camp. Cats and guardians of all shapes and sizes were already gathering beneath the massive branch that stretched out high above the center of the clearing; the branch itself came from the tree that made up Flarestar's den.

Off to the right the older apprentice's sat with their new guardians. The oldest looking apprentice had red-brown fur and hard, golden eyes; she sat straight and attentive, her strange colored shrew like a miniature statue on her shoulder. Fawnkit wasn't quite sure who the black tom was who looked like it was taking all of his energy not to snatch up his mouse guardian and take a nibble. Fawnkit knew the golden furred tom on the end, though; Sunpaw was almost always the one to bring fresh-kill in to the nursery since his mentor was Adderbite, the father of Moosekit, Feverkit, and Mothkit. The little tom looked like he was about to fall asleep, though, and Fawnkit couldn't see his guardian anywhere.

As the small she-cat walked through the crowd of her clanmates and their guardians, a new thought suddenly crossed her mind. _What if my guardian doesn't like me?_


	3. Chapter 2: Fawnpaw

Fawnkit's pelt burned from the gaze of her fellow clanmates as she slowly padded to her place beneath the High Branch. The long-legged form of Flarestar was silhouetted against the bright, white leaf-bare sky as he looked around the camp with watchful eyes, finally resting his gaze on the small kit. A blue jay was perched on the leader's shoulder, his beady black eyes flitting from cat to cat. The orange and white tom smiled at her, easing Fawnkit's nervousness. Then his forest green eyes slowly picked their way across the gathered cats before finding a resting place among them. Fawnkit followed his gaze curiously but couldn't tell for sure which cat he was eyeing. "Elkgaze," Flarestar's voice echoed throughout the clearing as a huge brown tom made his way forward from the back of the crowd. Strong muscles rippled under the dark brown pelt of the tom as he came to stand in front of Fawnkit, but all the she-cat could focus on was the upper half of his face with eyes as wide as full moons. One of his dark brown eyes was clouded and milky with three long claw-like scars running across it, while a web of grotesque scars covered the top of his head and extended to his left ear which had several chunks missing.

Finally remembering her manners, the little cat snapped back to attention and looked up to Flarestar who was in the middle of speaking. "…and incredibly wise. And now I ask you to pass down all you know to this apprentice." At that Elkgaze dipped his head down and moved forward to touch noses with his new apprentice. Fawnpaw leaned forward slightly but closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at his disfigured face up close, but when they touched noses she couldn't help but flinch slightly. A wave of relief passed over her as he pulled away, and although she felt bad, she didn't think the older cat minded her obvious revulsion, if he even noticed it at all.

The cats gathered began cheering "Fawnpaw! Fawnpaw!" by that point and she saw her mother standing at the edge of the crowd with Aroa sitting next to her. They both looked extremely proud and Fawnpaw quick gave her chest fur a couple nervous licks, suddenly feeling a mixture of embarrassment and pride. Suddenly a huge black bird landed next to Elkgaze, causing Fawnpaw to jump backward, hackles raised. Some of the cats in the crowd chuckled at her reaction, and she realized the bird must be her mentor's guardian. _Stupid, stupid!_ She thought to herself, her face suddenly feeling hot with embarrassment as she tried to regain her composure. _Everyone's going to think I'm still a scared little kit._ However, all the cats' attention had shifted to Flarestar as gazed down at the new apprentice and mentor.

"Now it is time for Fawnpaw to go out and find her guardian, as was decided in the Great Pact with StarClan and prey when the clans were formed. As her new mentor, Elkgaze will watch over Fawnpaw until she has found her guardian and her training can truly begin." Fawnpaw's fur prickled with excitement as she completely forgot about her monstrous looking mentor and began thinking about her soon to be guardian. Flarestar leapt from the High Branch and came to stand before the two cats, smiling warmly at the little she-cat. His guardian, Niir, was perched in his place on the High Branch. "May StarClan light your path and may you meet your guardian swiftly and without problems." Then he pressed his nose to her forehead for a few moments and nodded to Elkgaze, who said something quietly to his guardian. The huge black bird lifted off into the air and flew up past the trees, his feathers gleaming purple in the sunlight.

Elkgaze then turned to his new apprentice with a stony expression. Swallowing hard, Fawnpaw tried to look her mentor in the eyes without focusing on his scars. _I am an apprentice now! And about to find my very own guardian! Those scars probably just mean that he's an awesome warrior. Even if he looks like a monster… _She thought, focusing her attention on his one good eye and nothing else. "All right, it's time for us to go." He meowed slowly in a deep voice. Then, glancing from Fawnpaw to the camp entrance, he nodded. "I'll meet you out there. Make any preparations you need."

Nodding excitedly, Fawnpaw was about to run to the entrance, but then ran to her mother instead, pressing herself into her fur for a few moments. Poppyheart purred, rasping her tongue over her daughter's head a few times before the two pulled away. "Good luck, my dear. Elkgaze is a fine warrior and I know he'll keep you safe. Though I wish I could be with you…" The she-cat looked almost… Scared. Fawnpaw suddenly felt a lump in her throat as she pulled away from her mother and could only manage a nod back before turning around to leave. She heard her mother call after her one last thing, "Don't be disappointed if it takes longer than you expect! And come and see me as soon as you're back!"

And then in a smaller voice, Aroa called out, "It took three days for your mom and I to find each other!"

Fawnpaw paid no mind to them, in fact she imagined that her guardian was probably waiting just outside the camp entrance for her. The clan cheered her by her new name one last time as she ran to the two birch trees that made up the entrance of the camp. As she stepped beyond the entrance she let out a quiet gasp, her golden eyes widening at the view stretching beyond her. Trees, trees, trees for as far as she could see, and they were all growing so close together. "Can you climb very well?"

The new apprentice whirled around to find her mentor staring at her expectantly. She hadn't even noticed him come up behind her. How long had she been standing there looking at _trees?_ "Uh.. Sure. I mean, no, not really. I don't know." She glanced at her paws nervously. Her mother had only let her out of the nursery once or twice, honestly, and climbing was always 'too dangerous' for her.

Elkgaze seemed slightly confused, considering most of the cats in the clan learned how to climb as soon as they could walk, but shrugged. "Well, for now just walk on the ground, I guess. Though it's hard to get anywhere quickly on the forest floor." Fawnpaw, nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed that she didn't know how to do something so basic, but her mother was always so protective of her, never letting her out of her sight. "Anyways," the older tom meowed, looking directly into his apprentice's eyes, "No one can explain how to meet your guardian. Nothing can prepare you for it. All I can tell you is that you will know them when you see them." With that, he leapt to a low hanging branch above Fawnpaw, his muscles rippling beneath his sleek brown pelt. "I will keep a safe distance from above, as will Yilo, my raven. If you need anything at all, just call out. But this is something you must do alone." Without waiting for a reply, he clambered up the tree and then leapt from branch to branch of the close-knit web of trees, until he was lost from Fawnpaw's vision.

Suddenly Fawnpaw felt like a newborn kit, the whole world around her unfamiliar; all the new scents and sights equally terrifying and exciting. She took a deep breath and steadied herself by digging her little claws into the soft leaf litter covering the ground. _So now what?_ Elkgaze hadn't been much help, but she shrugged and began moving forward. Supposedly 'no one' and 'nothing' could prepare her for this so she just had to figure it out on her own. Wherever her guardian was, it was probably trying to find her too, right?

After what felt like forever, she stopped and sighed, glancing back behind her. Some white trees in the distance looked like they might have been the birches that marked the camp entrance, but she wasn't sure. If it was, it meant that she had barely made any progress, and the sun was already sitting low on the horizon; her heart sank with the realization that so much time had passed. Where was her guardian? Was she doing something wrong? The only sign of life she had seen so far was a scrawny mouse that ran out of its hole a tail-length, then caught sight of her and dove back in immediately. Worst of all, this whole stupid forest looked the exact same to her.

Fawnpaw angrily swatted a pile of leaves in front of her and let out a small growl. Glancing up at the sky, she saw a black dot lazily circling high above the trees. _Yilo, the raven._ _Elkgaze's guardian._ It was reassuring to know she wasn't completely alone out here, but at the same time she was frustrated that they were so close but wouldn't help her at all. The little she-cat sighed and kept moving forward, stopping at any tiny sound that could possibly be another animal.

The little crescent moon was hanging high in the dark sky when she finally gave up. Her paws ached like never before and she couldn't stop shivering. With a small mewl of defeat she slumped to the ground, wondering what she had ever done to deserve this. Within moments the huge black bird was landing next to her, looking her over with his deep black eyes. "Are you ready to go home, Fawnpaw?" He crowed quietly.

Surprisingly he had a very soft voice that almost sounded soothing, unlike her mentor's hard and indifferent tone. "But… I didn't find my guardian…" She whimpered, wrapping her tail around herself.

"It's all right, not everyone can find theirs the first day. Now just isn't the right time." He said reassuringly, resting a wing across her shoulders. She nodded, sniffling slightly. Elkgaze appeared shortly after and nodded to Yilo, who nodded back and lifted himself up into the trees with a sympathetic glance back to Fawnpaw.

With heavy paws and an even heavier heart she followed her mentor silently back to camp.


	4. Chapter 3: Friends and Enemies

**All right, finally got the next chapter done! This one's kinda long, and not that exciting until the end. But I like it. xD**

**Anywho, thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I really appreciate them and it inspires me to keep writing~**

**...**

"Fawnpaw… Fawnpaw… Fawnpaw!" The little she-cat jumped up in a panic, scattering moss all over her and the golden tom next to her. His big blue eyes were wide with shock for a moment before he started laughing and shaking the moss off his pelt. "Wow, you sure are jumpy, huh?" He meowed with a hint of amusement.

The new apprentice's ears were hot with embarrassment but she couldn't help but relax at his hearty laugh. She picked a piece of moss off her pelt and held it on her claw for a moment, glancing up at him with mischief in her golden eyes. "Well, Sunpaw, maybe you shouldn't have woken me up so early!" She flung the moss at him, but he ducked just in time and it went sailing into the back of the den, landing softly right on Pinepaw's head. He didn't notice; he didn't even wake up. Both apprentices giggled quietly for a few moments and then Sunpaw seemed to remember something.

"Well, Elkgaze actually wanted me to come and get you before I went on the dawn patrol. He said something about climbing training.." The tom meowed with a shrug. He turned to leave but touched her flank with his tail for a moment, "Besides, don't you want to go and look for your guardian again?"

Fawnpaw watched him bound away, her mood already sinking at his last comment. All night she had been tossing and turning in her new nest despite how tired she was after wandering around the forest all day and night. Apparently she did pass out at some point, though she felt like she hadn't rested at all. Sighing, she shook the rest of the moss out of her pelt and bounded out of the apprentice den. The little apprentice assumed her mentor was the kind of cat that you didn't want to keep waiting very long.

Elkgaze was waiting near the birch trees, standing still as a stone with his eyes closed and his tail wrapped around his large paws. Fawnpaw probably would have passed him if Yilo hadn't called out a greeting to her. Her mentor stood to his paws and walked out the entrance, motioning for his apprentice to follow. Blinking rapidly as if to get the sleep out of her eyes, she fell into step next to him while Yilo flew ahead of them to land in the branches of a tall tree.

"We're going to work on your climbing and jumping skills." He meowed, looking up at the large tree before them.

Fawnpaw tilted her head questioningly, "But… Shouldn't I be looking for my guardian?" Plus, she was exhausted; she wasn't about to tell him that, though.

The older tom's ears twitched and he looked down at her with his scarred face. "You had yesterday solely to look for your guardian, now we start your apprentice training. You'll know when the time is right to find your guardian." He meowed blankly, then noticing the look of utter despair on the she-cat's face, let out a long sigh. "Fawnpaw, you will find your guardian, but we can't sit around doing nothing while we wait for that to happen, we need to start your training. Besides, your guardian is out there somewhere looking for you as well." Fawnpaw still looked unconvinced. "Learning how to move through the trees and the territory will help you find your guardian faster. Think about it."

At that Fawnpaw's eyes widened with excitement. "Okay, that makes sense!" Then she glanced up at the formidable tree before them. "So…. What do I do?"

Without saying a word the huge tom bunched his hindquarters and leapt into the air towards the tree, digging his claws deep into the bark to hold him firmly in place. With his good eye he glanced down at Fawnpaw expectantly. She gulped and took a deep breath before copying his moves, only she landed several tail-lengths below him, barely off the ground. Her claws sunk into the bark and she grit her teeth as she tried to hold to the tree.

Nodding approvingly, her mentor began climbing up the tree slowly, "We'll work on speed later, for now just focus on moving your body up the tree. Dig your claws in- yes, yes, like that. Good." Without warning he moved to the left and leapt onto a large branch, moving down it as to make room for his apprentice. Fawnpaw was feeling much more confident now that they had been climbing for a while and she followed him onto the branch, though not nearly as gracefully. Elkgaze nodded approvingly and gazed out across the forest. Fawnpaw followed his gaze and gasped; they were so high above the forest floor! _Is my guardian out there right now, searching for me? _

Before she could think about her guardian anymore, Elkgaze took a deep breath and leapt over her and began climbing down the tree once again. "Hey! Wait!" Fawnpaw squeaked, trying to climb down quickly but also slightly shaken now that she knew how high up she was.

After what felt like forever she finally reached the ground again, only to meet Elkgaze's stony gaze. _Either this cat has no emotions or he's hiding them incredibly well_, Fawnpaw though, slightly annoyed that he never even gave a hint of what he was thinking or feeling. "I want you to climb this tree up to that branch we were on and then back down to the ground again until sun high." He meowed, then seeing her mouth open in protest, he shook his head. "We need to build up your leg muscles. Plus you're not very fast at climbing. At all." He meowed that last bit so matter-of-factly that Fawnpaw's eyes narrowed in anger; she didn't argue though, just turned around and began climbing again.

By sun high Fawnpaw was sure her legs were going to fall right off. After Elkgaze told her they were done for the day she didn't even say goodbye to him or Yilo, though she did feel a little bad about the latter because Yilo had been nothing but kind to her. Her pelt bristled as she thought about her mentor, though. Why was he pushing her so hard, it was her first day of training for StarClan's sake!

The little she-cat nearly ran into Sunpaw as she padded towards the apprentice den, causing him to drop a mouse he was carrying. "Well, it looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of their nest this morning!" He meowed with a smirk, his blue orbs twinkling with amusement. Fawnpaw gave her chest fur a few embarrassed licks and shot him a smirk back, though less playful. She noticed that once again the cheerful tom was without his guardian. The fluffy golden tom pushed the mouse towards her with a white paw, "Here, why don't you have this mouse? You look like you're about to pass out on your paws. I'll grab another one to take to the nursery." The other apprentice gave her a warm smile before padding away again.

Fawnpaw just stared after him, then down at the mouse. At least she had a friend in the group of apprentices; she hadn't even seen the others yet since her ceremony. The tantalizing scent of the mouse was wafting up to her and she realized how incredibly hungry she was, bending down right there and finishing it in a few famished bites. After swiping her tongue over her muzzle she suddenly let out a huge yawn and began padding into the apprentice den. _I'll just sleep for a bit and then go out and look for my guardian…_

It was a little after dawn when Fawnpaw's eyes flew open, her heart thumping wildly against her chest as if threatening to burst out. After taking several deep breaths she had finally calmed down enough to realize that she had just been having a bad dream, the memory of which was already fading fast from her mind. The only thing left of her nightmare was the sensation of falling and falling and falling… She shivered from that strange sensation and tried to push it from her mind.

Just then it seemed to dawn on the young apprentice that she had slept through the rest of yesterday without looking for her guardian at all. "Fox-dung!" She grumbled, quieting her voice when she noticed a black tom stir slightly in his nest on the other side of the den. Sighing, she shook her pelt free of moss and padded out of the hole in the tree that was the apprentice den. Although she was annoyed that she had slept away time she could have been searching for her guardian, she had to admit that she felt way more rested and awake than she had since becoming an apprentice.

Gazing across the clearing she saw a few warriors sharing breakfast near the small peach tree between Flarestar's den and the nursery, while Goldenstrike argued with Adderbite on the upper branches of the tree that made up the nursery. Their kits, Moosekit, Mothkit, and Feverkit were all playing a game on the ground, completely oblivious to their bickering parents a few fox-lengths above them. Fawnpaw smiled when she saw them, turning her paws in that direction. "Where do you think you're going, Fawnpaw?" The young apprentice's heart sank as she heard her mentor's voice behind her.

"Nowhere. I… I was just looking for you." She mewed, turning around to face the older tom.

He raised an eyebrow at the young apprentice but didn't call her out on her obvious excuse. "Well. I decided that today would be good for learning the territory." He meowed, turning to walk towards the entrance, gesturing for Fawnpaw to follow with a flick of his tail. After shooting one last glance back at her friends playing outside the nursery, she padded behind him, tail drooping. "I don't know why you seem so down, when this will provide the perfect opportunity for you to look for your guardian." He meowed with a hint of annoyance, though he kept his gaze fixed on the path ahead.

Fawnpaw perked up a bit at that and lifted her tail up, but said nothing as they exited the camp, joined by Yilo. As they walked through the forest, they stopped often and Elkgaze had Fawnpaw tasting the air and reporting the scents surrounding them. She saw the toad pond deep in the forest where cats learned to catch frogs and fish and how to swim; the little she-cat also got to see the sunny clearing where cats came to sun themselves and apprentices learned battle training techniques. Fawnpaw had never imagined their territory was so huge beyond the camp!

Just when she had begun to think this forest didn't have an ending, the trees began to thin and they emerged from the forest. Fawnpaw couldn't help but let a small gasp escape her muzzle as she gazed across the area before them; the ground was barren aside from a few shrubs here and there, while a small stream trickled slowly a few fox-lengths ahead of them. She looked side to side and could see the edges of the forest continuing on and on in each direction, as well as this tiny stream. The little she-cat began to pad forward towards the stream but Elkgaze barred her way with his tail, shaking his head. "Taste the air and tell me what you smell." He meowed, looking at her expectantly.

She nodded and opened her mouth, somewhere behind her was the faint smell of mouse and the always present smell of bark and leaf litter, but suddenly the wind changed direction and blew to her from the direction of the pond. Immediately she crinkled up her nose and squeaked with shock. "Weird, it smells like cats, kinda like us but… But more earthy and like flowers and… I dunno. Weird." She finished, raising a brow at her mentor questioningly.

Was that a smirk she saw on Elkgaze's muzzle? She swore it was there, if even for a second. "That's MeadowClan. Their territory starts on the other side of that stream." He meowed, then moved to one of the little shrubs and marked the border from their side. "You'll probably get to go to the next gathering, where you can see the MeadowClan cats for yourself." He narrowed his eyes and brought his face down to Fawnpaw's, so close that she could count the scars on his face. "Don't ever trust a MeadowClan cat, though, Fawnpaw." Then he stood up straight and beckoned her to follow him as they made their way along the tree line. Fawnpaw was slightly unnerved after that but followed after her mentor regardless.

Just as they were entering the forest once again they ran into the sunhigh patrol led by Sootface, the deputy, who was with that red-furred apprentice Fawnpaw didn't know, Adderbite, and Sunpaw. Fawnpaw's golden eyes grew wide as she stared at the deputy's guardian, a spiky, dangerous looking snake, hanging from her neck, his forked tongue slipping in and out every few moments. For some reason the creature made Fawnpaw shiver and she turned her attention to the apprentices. Elkgaze called out to them in greeting and spoke with Adderbite for a few moments. Sunpaw bounded over to Fawnpaw with a grin plastered to his muzzle. "Hey Fawnpaw! You finally aren't sleeping or about to pass out for once!" He meowed with a wink.

Fawnpaw giggled but rolled her eyes at him and batted at his fluffy tail playfully. "I finally got a decent nights' sleep because someone wasn't waking me up at SarClan knows what time in the morning!"

Sunpaw shrugged but kept smiling, "Well maybe that someone didn't want to get covered in moss again," he meowed with a smirk. Fawnpaw had opened her mouth to reply but felt a burning gaze on the back of her pelt. She looked behind her to see the older red apprentice staring at her with eyes narrowed to slits, claws digging into the dirt before her. Fury was radiating from her pelt and Fawnpaw couldn't help but shrink back slightly as it washed over her. What had she done to this cat?

Sunpaw's smile faded fast as he noticed the other apprentice's demeanor. The she-cat tilted her head to the side and said in a loud voice, "So, where's your guardian, Fawnpaw?" The shrew on her shoulder seemed to snicker as Fawnpaw stared down at her paws with embarrassment and dismay.

She felt Sunpaw stir beside her, "Scarletpaw-" He meowed with a sigh, but the older apprentice didn't seem to hear him.

"Oh that's right… You haven't found yours yet, huh?" She mewed, her voice sounding so sickly sweet as she took a few paw steps closer to Fawnpaw. The little brown she-cat flinched as she got closer but stood where she was, glancing up to meet the golden eyes of Scarletpaw for a moment before turning her sight back to her paws once more. The lithe red she-cat leaned in close to Fawnpaw and quietly with a voice dripping venom she mewed, "It's been an awful long time now. Ever think that maybe you don't get a guardian?"

Fawnpaw wanted to lash out and slash the older she-cat's stupid face but she couldn't move, couldn't look away from her paws, couldn't even come up with a reply. That was her worst fear and as soon as the words had left Scarletpaw's mouth a lump had formed in Fawnpaw's throat and tears were threatening to fall from her eyes at any moment. She could feel Sunpaw's gaze on her and could imagine those big blue eyes of his full of pity as he stared down at her. The poor, little apprentice without a guardian.

At that moment Sootface meowed to Scarlepaw and Sunpaw to catch up to their mentors as the patrol had started on their way again. Elkgaze motioned for Fawnpaw to follow him and she did, though he had to keep snapping at her to catch up as she kept trailing behind. Fawnpaw was trying so hard to be strong but Scarletpaw's words kept running through her mind over and over. Maybe she was right and Fawnpaw just wasn't good enough for a guardian.


	5. Chapter 4: That Feeling

"Pay attention, Fawnpaw!" Elkgaze snapped, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The little brown she-cat rolled her eyes and got back into the hunting crouch her mentor was showing her; a bird perched in a nearby tree had distracted her, as did nearly any animal that crossed her path. She had been an apprentice for a quarter of a moon and still hadn't found her guardian.

Nodding in approval, Elkgaze came to her side and pushed down lightly on her back with his paw. "Good, but keep a little lower to the ground." Fawnpaw nodded and lowered herself down even closer to the ground so that her belly fur was brushing against the leaves. "That's good. Now let's put it into practice." He meowed, flicking his tail for her to follow him.

They came to the edge of the sunny clearing and Elkgaze stopped behind a large tree, glancing from Fawnpaw to the clearing. The young apprentice fell into the crouch they had just been practicing and opened her mouth to taste the air and after a moment pinpointed the scent of a mouse not too far. Golden orbs focused on the tiny gray shape scuttling near the opposite end of the clearing and she moved forward slowly and carefully, making sure to keep her weight spread evenly across her paws.

Just as she was within pouncing distance, the mouse seemed to sense her and turned around, staring directly at her. She sucked in a breath and couldn't move. _Are you my guardian?_ She thought, opening her mouth to speak the words, but the mouse had turned away and began running for its life. Fawnpaw hissed and jumped after the small creature, her paws pounding against the earth. She leapt and unsheathed her claws but it was too late; the mouse was already diving deep into its hole as she landed on the ground, empty pawed.

"You almost had him, Fawnpaw, what happened?" Yilo cawed, landing on a branch above the little she-cat, eyeing her with a quizzical look. She opened her mouth to reply but saw her mentor padding up shaking his head.

"You faltered. You would have had that mouse easily. Why in StarClan's name did you stop?" He meowed.

Fawnpaw's pelt bristled as she stared at her mentor through narrowed eyes. "Well what if I had killed it and then found out that mouse was supposed to be my guardian?!" She hissed, digging her claws into the dirt. "It's just not fair!" She mewed, whirling around and pelting off in the opposite direction.

She heard her mentor call her name out but he made no move to follow her. At this point she jumped up the nearest tree and climbed as high as she could, fitting herself into a small hole in the trunk. Once she was curled up inside the hole she finally let herself cry and cry until finally she couldn't cry anymore. It just wasn't fair that she didn't have a guardian. No cat had ever taken this long to find theirs, and she wasn't oblivious to the whispers behind her back from the other cats.

As she lay there the sun's brilliant rays began to bathe the forest in a golden light, almost as if every branch was ablaze with fire. This was Fawnpaw's favorite time of day, when the sun began to sink just below the horizon and the forest was golden and alive. The little she-cat sighed and crawled out of her hiding place to sit on the branch outside, giving her pelt a quick grooming. Elkgaze would be so angry at her but he'd get over it; Fawnpaw would probably just have to train extra long tomorrow, but it didn't matter. Taking a few more moments to gaze at the surreal image of the forest and setting sun before her, Fawnpaw finally began to make her way back to camp, jumping from branch to branch as her mentor and her had been practicing.

The moment she got back into camp she was greeted by the familiar scent of Yilo, the raven that belonged to her mentor, though she didn't see the large form of Elkgaze nearby. The huge black bird clacked his beak nervously as he landed next to her. "Elkgaze was very disappointed in you for running off in the middle of your training earlier…" He started, and Fawnpaw nodded; she knew this was coming. "So he would like you to spend the rest of the day and the next quarter moon grooming the elders for ticks and changing their bedding…"

Fawnpaw sighed but nodded again. "Okay, I guess that's fair. I didn't mean to run off like that, I just-"

"I'm not finished, Fawnpaw." Yilo cut in, glancing at her uneasily. "Elkgaze also wished for me to inform you that you will not be attending the next gathering…" He took one look at her shocked expression and shook his head, taking to the skies once more. "I'm sorry, but Elkgaze is firm in this decision. I'll see you at dawn tomorrow!" He cawed and already was soaring over and out of the camp's clearing.

The elder duties would've been fine, but keeping her from her first gathering for not catching one _mouse_? Fawnpaw hissed and silently cursed StarClan for receiving such an awful mentor and for her guardian that had refused to appear. As she began padding to the elders' den she felt a familiar pelt brush against hers. "How is everything going my dear?" Her mom purred, Aroa draped casually around her shoulders.

"Fine." She snapped, keeping her gaze locked ahead.

Her mother faltered for a moment and decided to just settle with giving her daughter a lick between the ears. "I'm always here if you need to talk…" She meowed, obviously hurt. Fawnpaw heard her mother's guardian whispering something about 'apprentice angst' to her mother and the little she-cat rolled her eyes as she continued forward.

After taking care of Barkear and Ebonystripe, Fawnpaw grumpily trudged into the apprentice's den and collapsed into her nest with a frustrated 'huff'. Her ears pricked as she heard a soft squeaking noise off in the corner near Sunpaw's nest and she craned her neck in that direction but couldn't see anything. Cautiously she stood and picked her way to the sound on stealthy paws until finally she saw the tiny, curled form of some kind of rodent.

Before Fawnpaw could even begin to speculate about the little creature, a yowl interrupted her thoughts as she was suddenly knocked off her paws and staring into the huge blue eyes that could only belong to Sunpaw. His pupil had a white ring around it and his heart was beating so fast, he was scared, no, _terrified_ of something, Fawnpaw realized suddenly. The golden tom took his paw off her chest and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Fawnpaw. I thought you might try to eat him and I just didn't know what to do…"

Tilting her head to the side in confusion, the little brown she-cat glanced from where the little animal was and back to Sunpaw. "Uh… What is he?"

A small smile played across Sunpaw's lips and he motioned with his tail for her to come over as he nudged the creature, which turned out to be a chipmunk, awake. "This is my guardian, V'ryin!" He mewed quietly as the chipmunk clung to his paw. Fawnpaw's eyes grew wide as she stared at her friend's guardian.

"But… He's so small and…" She trailed off, realizing it would probably hurt her friend's feelings if she said what she was thinking. _Frail. Weak. _

For a moment a frown crossed the apprentice's face, but it was soon gone and he stared down at his Guardian with determination. "He's been sick for a while now… but he is getting better! I can.. I can feel it. Every day he gets a little stronger." Sunpaw looked at her with those big blue eyes, twinkling with a courage and love so fierce that the little she-cat flinched under his gaze. Fawnpaw sucked in her breath through her teeth as she felt a pang of longing slam into her at the sight of the two.

Nodding at Sunpaw she averted her eyes and started backing out of the den. "I'm sure he'll be better in no time… I, uh, I should probably go do something productive before Elkgaze gets mad." She mewed turning about and dashing out of the den. The little she-cat felt so mixed up. Maybe it was selfish of her, but she was almost happy whenever she would see Sunpaw without his guardian; it made her feel normal, like she wasn't the only one. The worst part was that look he gave her when he talked about his guardian, and the way she could _feel_ the energy between them; it was overwhelming and unlike anything she had ever known.

And she wanted so badly to feel that; to know what that connection was like.


End file.
